


Fairies, Magic, and Scary Houses

by voicesofreasons



Series: A Southside Kids Story [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Gen, Happy halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voicesofreasons/pseuds/voicesofreasons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mandy meets some interesting people while trick or treating with her brothers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fairies, Magic, and Scary Houses

**Author's Note:**

> A little unedited, but I wanted to get it out. Any advice and problems you notice is welcome as I will be editing this further in the future. A lot of my own personal headcanons here. If anything is bothering you just ask and I'll help you as best as I can.

Mandy, bundled in a winter coat two sizes too big for her, watched the house carefully. As if it would move at any moment. Any other time of year it looked just like the houses around it, but here and now, on Halloween, the scary display practically scared the tutu off her. Not that she’d let anyone else know.

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, and set her teeth against it, wishing it was still okay to suck her thumb through the fear she was feeling. She gripped her fairy treasure closer in both hands, the slight shaking releasing a small shower of glitter and sending the candy inside jostling. The house _loomed,_ dark, except for the porch light and the glowing eyes of the creatures scattered on the front lawn.

The first obstacle was near the sidewalk: a hooked-nose green-skinned witch, complete with broomstick and pointy hat, which cackled as people walked by, its glowing green eyes following every step. And, if the older boys who had run out victorious, with small bags stuffed with candy, were to be believed, further in were people waiting in the dark to scare you. Not that Mandy believed them. she had brothers after all. She knew boys lied.

Still, the unlit area between where she stood, and the safety of the bright porch was unnerving, and surely full of too many creepy things for her to cross twice. Not that she was a wimp, she was just waiting for her brothers. ‘ _Anyway Iggy said not to go far._ ’ Besides, maybe Mickey wouldn’t mind grabbing an extra bag if she was simply too tired to go herself. Back up the street she could see Iggy and Mickey; Mickey stomping on fallen leaves while Iggy flirted with some pretty brown-haired girl with pink metal in her mouth.

Mandy tugged a strand of her own hair, peeking under her puffball hat, and wished it was brown like the girl’s. The blonde stood out too much, shined when she’d rather hide. Her and Mickey were the only ones in the family with the unfortunate color, a gift from their absent mother. At least Mickey could shave his off, when she’d wanted to she’d been laughed at. The pretty girl with Iggy was laughing now, flashing pretty pink to the entire street. Mandy wished Iggy would hurry up already.

“Are you scared too?”

Mandy turned, already raising her bag to protect herself. It would probably take longer to pull out her taser than for her brothers to get there. She stopped as she caught the terrified eyes of a boy in her class. It took another moment to process what he’d said, especially with his thumb stuffed in his mouth.

“Scared? As if. I’m just waiting on my brothers, she pointed in their general direction. The boy, Ian she remembered, nodded slowly, not bothering to look where she was pointing. His stare made her a little uncomfortable. She wanted him to leave. “Um right so, bye.” She turned her back on him and sat on the sidewalk, pretending to go through her candy haul. Ian sat down beside her, still staring with those wide eyes. Mandy rolled her eyes and silently cursed clueless little kids.

“Ian, there you are. What did I say about walking off?” Mandy and Ian both turned to look at the girl running up the street. She stopped in front of them, hands on her hips, looking disappointed.

Ian answered her with more mumbling, his thumb still in his mouth. “Not to.” He didn’t look remorseful, instead he smiled a little. The purple and gold hat sitting low on Ian’s unruly red curls—that was almost a worst color than blonde—fell over his eyes, forcing him to push it back with the hand that wasn’t in his mouth.

Mandy smiled as he hit himself in the face with his candy bag, a garish orange smiling pumpkin. Except she was just now noticing the hat, and the matching robe, both decorated with stars and moons, and she had no idea what that added up to so she asked. “What are you supposed to be?”

The kid started looking for something, finally taking his hand out of his mouth, to use both hands. The girl sighed and handed Ian a stick she had been carrying. “You dropped it.”

He smiled at both of them, waving the stick around, and said something Mandy deciphered as “I’m a wizard.” It was louder than he had been talking before but, even with nothing in his mouth it was hard to understand.

The girl smiled at him and Mandy. “Is this your friend E?”

That made Ian, avidly watching himself wave his wand, turn that stare back on Mandy for a few moments. He nodded once at the girl, then the thumb was back in his mouth, and he was off studying the witch.

“I’m Ian’s sister, Fiona. Our brother Lip is somewhere around here too, probably causing trouble.” She sighed and picked up Ian’s wand from where it was starting to roll down the sidewalk. She was watching Ian do…whatever he was doing. Still it felt like Fiona was confiding in her.

“Brothers.” Mandy said simply. Fiona laughed glancing at her for a second longer. “Mandy”. She offered Fiona her own name. “You’re not wearing a costume.”

“I’m surprised you can tell with everyone wearing their coats, it’s already getting really cold.” Fiona breathed out and they both watched her breath crystallize in front of her. “Anyway, I’m 13. Too old to dress up.”

To Mandy 13 seemed so far away, Fiona was practically an adult. “Wow.”

Fiona continued. “Gotta take care of those two troublemakers.”

 Mandy looked where Fiona was gesturing. Ian was now standing with a second boy, also costumeless, who was talking quickly, words Mandy couldn’t really understand. That must be the one with the stupid name then, Lip.

“So what are you?”

“I’m a fairy.” She proudly showed Fiona each item that helped make her a fairy.  “I have wings, and a tutu and even a bag to hold my treasure.” Mandy stood and turned, trying to show Fiona the wings on her back. She had made sure to put them on over her coat.  “I came up with it myself and my auntie helped me make it.”

Fiona was smiling at her and nodding. “You look-“

“Hey, Fiona right?” Suddenly Iggy was there, Mickey trailing behind him.

The pretty pink-metaled girl abandoned in the middle of the street, unmoving, even as her own brother tried to tug her away. Mandy felt a little sorry for her, but she had to admit, that even her brown hair and pink-metal couldn’t beat Fiona. Especially as Fiona rolled her eyes and shared a secret look with her. Mandy couldn’t quite decipher it but she knew that they were having a moment.

“Right.” She barely acknowledged Iggy. “Mandy you look wonderful. If I was as creative as you I’d probably still wear costumes.”

The compliment excited Mandy. “I can make you one next year!”

“Maybe.” Fiona smiled one last time at Mandy, ignoring the way Iggy was trying to get her attention. Instead, she told her brothers, who were now trying to hit the pumpkins on the porch with rocks, that they were leaving.

Iggy jumped in front of her. “Hey, you don’t have to leave yet.” He seemed to puff out his chest and try to appear taller, though he still had to look up at Fiona.

Fiona looked angry, balling up her fists like she was ready to fight. She wore no mittens and her knuckles were bruised in a way Mandy recognized, now that she was looking.

Iggy backed away as Fiona’s fists came up. “Whoa, nothing like that. We were just thinking about hitting up Northside for those full-size bars they like to give out.”

Mandy tuned them out, this conversation just got uninteresting. Instead, movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn to where Mickey was staring up at the house. Ian and Lip were standing behind him, whispering about something, and Lip was tugging something out of his coat pocket.

Then one of the kids heading up to the terrifying house screamed, “It’s got me, somethings got me”. Moments later a kid was running out, crying, followed by two girls. The triplets from Mandy’s class.

“Stop being a baby.” One of the girls said as they ran after their crying brother.

“We didn’t even get the candy.” The other chimed in, laughing.

They bumped into Mickey as they ran by and pushed him into Lip, who grabbed him, and turned him around. The thing in his pocket had been a truly horrifying mask. One that made Mandy step back a little. Mickey, on the other hand, fell over trying to get away. Right into the witch, which set off a round of cackling, and sent him stumbling in the other direction and falling off the sidewalk.  He went down hard on the street and looked around stunned.

Lip had removed the mask and was laughing. Ian was staring, almost as stunned as Mickey. Fiona looked a little worried. Only Mandy and Iggy were preparing themselves for the inevitable.

Mickey’s face went red and he let out a long wail, huge tears falling from his eyes. He balled his hands into tiny fists and rubbed at his eyes. He was crying and trying not to cry, and trying to stand up. Worst, everyone on the street was looking at him which, when he noticed, made him cry harder. Soon he was on his feet and clinging to Iggy, who sighed and tried to shake him off.

Fiona had been scolding to Lip, who had stopped laughing, but didn’t look a bit apologetic. Instead, he was walking towards the house talking about grabbing candy.

“Get enough for everyone.” Fiona yelled before looking at Mickey, who was crying and clinging to Iggy.

Mandy grabbed a snickers from her bag, throwing the wrapper into the wind. Her and Iggy were pretty used to Mickey’s crying. Once he got going it could go for hours. Ian and Fiona’s shock was kind of funny though.

Fiona was obviously worried. “Is there um, should we do something?”

Iggy had stopped trying to shake Mickey off, resigned to the snot getting all over his clothes. “Nah, he’s fine. So about going Northside?”

Mandy decided she was done with tonight, she didn’t wanna go further no matter how good the candy was. Mickey had started up one of his tantrums, Iggy was flirting with maybe the only cool person she’d seen tonight, and Fiona’s brothers were a nightmare. She wished Karen had wanted to come with her instead of spending Halloween at home, watching movies with her family.

Mickey took a deep breath and started yet another round of wailing, and now everyone was ignoring him, even the passing strangers. Everyone except Ian who was slowly creeping closer, watching him with interest. Mandy was bored but this seemed like it could be entertaining. So she watched Ian step closer to Mickey, nod once, then place both of his hands, one of them covered in his spit, on Mickey’s face. He turned Mickey’s crying red face to him, cheeks smooshed by Ian’s hands, and placed a wet kiss on Mickey’s forehead. It happened quickly, and amazingly. Mickey’s crying was slowing to a stop as he stared wide-eyed at Ian. The wizard, once again sucking his thumb, watched as Mickey grew silent, tears still making tracks down his chubby cheeks. And he _must_ be a wizard because nothing but magic could have gotten Mickey to stop crying, Mandy thought. Not that anyone had ever tried something as stupid as kissing his forehead.

Ian smiled proudly at Mickey around his thumb. And apparently Ian’s staring was catching because suddenly everyone, Mickey, Fiona, Iggy, and Mandy, was staring at him. Still, something in that moment must have convinced Fiona that staying with them a little longer wouldn’t be so bad cause she was agreeing to go with them Northside. Which made Mandy smile, she’d love to spend more time with Fiona. Even if it meant spending more time with a bunch of boys. Lip came back arms full of candy bags, and she took hers, grateful she wouldn’t have to go confront that house, and happy to be leaving it behind her as she followed Iggy and Fiona. Of course with boys there was always trouble, she reasoned, as Mickey spoke behind her.

“Where’s my candy?”

Lip laughed. “Crybabies don’t get candy.”

Well that was just asking for trouble. Mandy turned around to watch Mickey punch him. He would probably go for the nose. Lip was pretty tall, though she suspected him and Mickey were the same age, so it would be a bit of a reach, but ultimately satisfying.

What she saw instead was Ian offering Mickey his candy bag, and glaring at Lip.

“Ah don’t be like that E. I was kidding.” Lip tossed another bag of candy, which Ian caught smiling at him. There was something in that smile, Mandy decided. Something Fiona-like in that smile, that made people want to see it.

She ignored the boys behind her who were bound to cause more trouble, and ignored Iggy trying desperately to flirt with Fiona, who was not having it, and concentrated on eating her candy.  She wished she had less brothers and more sisters.

A little later Fiona turned around to check on them and smiled at her. A beautiful smile, she’d done nothing to deserve. Maybe this Halloween wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
